Coach of the year

[SuperStar]

Thought I would start the discussion of who people are think are doing a good job coaching - Turning a program around/building up or just staying consistently good with what they have... I have a few in mind.

Pat O'Leary - Wayzata
Jeff Lindquist - Jefferson
Bruce Laroque - Grand Rapids
Randolph - Duluth East
Noel Rahn - Holy Family
Joe Pankratz - Prior Lake
Ritch Menne - Centennial
Jim Mcelmury - Tartan
Curt Giles - Edina

[old goalie85]

Joe D, and Tom C MPLS Novas !!!!

[PuckU126]

Where's Sager?

[GTTN]

At this point I would have to go with O'leary.

Runner up Pankratz.

[Sartellcelly]

Love em all, but I'd have to say O'Leary is the obvious choice and Dziedzic would be the dark horse.

[dangle_snipe]

Brandon Mileski

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

As we have seen, it's not the Coach of the Year award. It's the Last Coach to Beat Bill Lechner award.

[northwoods oldtimer]

Thought I would start the discussion of who people are think are doing a good job coaching - Turning a program around/building up or just staying consistently good with what they have... I have a few in mind.

Pat O'Leary - Wayzata
Jeff Lindquist - Jefferson
Bruce Laroue - Grand Rapids
Randpolh - Duluth East
Noel Rahn - Holy Family
Joe Pankratz - Prior Lake
Ritch Menne - Centennial
Jim Mcelmury - Tartan
Curt Giles - Edina

Pat O'Leary - Wayzata
Jeff Lindquist - Jefferson
Bruce Laroue - Grand Rapids
Randpolh - Duluth East
Noel Rahn - Holy Family
Joe Pankratz - Prior Lake
Ritch Menne - Centennial
Jim Mcelmury - Tartan
Curt Giles - Edina[/quote]

[BodyShots]

Thought I would start the discussion of who people are think are doing a good job coaching - Turning a program around/building up or just staying consistently good with what they have... I have a few in mind.

Pat O'Leary - Wayzata
Jeff Lindquist - Jefferson
Bruce Laroue - Grand Rapids
Randpolh - Duluth East
Noel Rahn - Holy Family
Joe Pankratz - Prior Lake
Ritch Menne - Centennial
Jim Mcelmury - Tartan
Curt Giles - Edina

Pat O'Leary - Wayzata
Jeff Lindquist - Jefferson
Bruce Laroue - Grand Rapids
Randpolh - Duluth East
Noel Rahn - Holy Family
Joe Pankratz - Prior Lake
Ritch Menne - Centennial
Jim Mcelmury - Tartan
Curt Giles - Edina

[/quote]

Really, why are coaches from GR, DE, and Edina even listed.

Agree with O'Leary and Menne. Also could add the Roseville coach who had to take over a difficult situation with the removal of Pauletti last year.

[Aldo Raine]

This list is not well thought out. This is pretty much a two man contest between Pat O'Leary and Bill Lechner. Both have taken teams thought to be in slight rebuild mode and have them as the top two teams in the state.

Giles has done less with more than any other coach. That roster is absolutely loaded, and they shouldn't even have one loss, less alone 4 or 5. With that offense, they should have way more goals. Look at Bo Brauer's stats in elite league and HS? How does that make any sense? Masterman and Fidler are being criminally underused. Their D has been inconsistent. And even Hurley and Malmquist are being not used to their full potential. I am starting to agree with a lot of Edina insiders about him. Having him on this list is laughable.

So is Noel Rahn. Who have they beat? Even with cupcakes scheduled hafl the time, Gersich and Peterson are barely averaging 2ppg? Garin hasn't taken off as expected. They are not even close to a top 15 team. If he had them in Top Ten and beat a good team or two, maybe...but Rahn is not a good coach. I'm surprised Good players parents even send their kids there with his reputation...past and present.

Laroque at GR has done Ok w/o Bischoff for most of the year. But it's not like Rapids is a top 5-10 team. If GR was up there, w/o their star player, than maybe he'd be considered.

Lindquist? That's the biggest laugher on the list. They've played a few teams close, but when has this guy ever won a big game? One time at state in over a decade at a metro power. He looks like a deer in the headlights when trying to make a tough call at a crucial moment in a game.

Pankratz has done alright at PL this year, but they haven't significantly overachieved or anything. He could be good down the road, but the jury is still out on him.

Randolph has done a pretty good job with his roster this year and probably deserves to be on the shortlist, but I think w/o question the two best coaches in the state right now are O'Leary and Lechner.

[SuperStar]

This list is not well thought out. This is pretty much a two man contest between Pat O'Leary and Bill Lechner. Both have taken teams thought to be in slight rebuild mode and have them as the top two teams in the state.

Giles has done less with more than any other coach. That roster is absolutely loaded, and they shouldn't even have one loss, less alone 4 or 5. With that offense, they should have way more goals. Look at Bo Brauer's stats in elite league and HS? How does that make any sense? Masterman and Fidler are being criminally underused. Their D has been inconsistent. And even Hurley and Malmquist are being not used to their full potential. I am starting to agree with a lot of Edina insiders about him. Having him on this list is laughable.

So is Noel Rahn. Who have they beat? Even with cupcakes scheduled hafl the time, Gersich and Peterson are barely averaging 2ppg? Garin hasn't taken off as expected. They are not even close to a top 15 team. If he had them in Top Ten and beat a good team or two, maybe...but Rahn is not a good coach. I'm surprised Good players parents even send their kids there with his reputation...past and present.

Laroque at GR has done Ok w/o Bischoff for most of the year. But it's not like Rapids is a top 5-10 team. If GR was up there, w/o their star player, than maybe he'd be considered.

Lindquist? That's the biggest laugher on the list. They've played a few teams close, but when has this guy ever won a big game? One time at state in over a decade at a metro power. He looks like a deer in the headlights when trying to make a tough call at a crucial moment in a game.

Pankratz has done alright at PL this year, but they haven't significantly overachieved or anything. He could be good down the road, but the jury is still out on him.

Randolph has done a pretty good job with his roster this year and probably deserves to be on the shortlist, but I think w/o question the two best coaches in the state right now are O'Leary and Lechner.

Thanks for your input Aldo Nova. So, you have used most of your reply bashing the hell out of coaches

Give us a paragraph or two of why you think O'Leary and Lechner, other than, they are the two top teams in state - be specific***.

[Aldo Raine]

Your on this thread like a hawk superstar. Didn't know I had to lay out my case for you better than I did.

O'Leary has taken over a semi-wobbly program with a lot of defections and backstabbing and got a talented group of 97's to stay within Wayzata. His two best offensive players are a sophomore and freshman. His D core is solid, but not nearly as talented as Edina's...but he has gotten them to play better as a unit all year, moreso than the Hornets. He has gotten them to buy in to playing defensive hockey. Everyone. And he has gotten great goaltending. Just watching him coach a game, it looks like he has a firm grasp on his kids and their system, and he doesn't seem to get panicked. They probably won't win state, but his coaching job with this team, should get him coach of the year in a rebuilding year, when they basically lost all their offense to graduation.

Lechner, lost his best forward and best defenseman (who both still had eligibility) to juniors, but he has never had Hill Murray ranked lower than #3 and they play the best team hockey of any metro teams that I've seen. Pound-for-pound the best coach in the state. The new Ike or Sats.

Happy Sup?

[SuperStar]

YES! Thanks

[MNHockeyFan]

Do Greg and Tom Vannelli deserve consideration? I know they are blessed with lots of talent, but it's obvious (to me at least) that their players have totally bought in to their team concept.

[urban iceman]

Should'nt it be the coaches who have done the most with less??

My Vote- Chris Lonke, New Prague. Lost top two players to defection and still have them ranked and contending for Missota conf. title. Or does class A not count unless you are a private school or Hermantown!

[EliteHockeyMind]

How about Bill Owens for SPA?

Only his first year as head coach, but already showing improvements for SPA. They beat Blake for the first time in 8 years, and held #2 in 1A Breck to a 1 goal game this week, (2 with an EN).

Last year they were 8-15-3, this year they are already 11-7.

Considers a little attention. Maybe not coach of year, but has the potential with a young team to turn this program around.

[almostashappy]

Your on this thread like a hawk superstar. Didn't know I had to lay out my case for you better than I did.

O'Leary has taken over a semi-wobbly program with a lot of defections and backstabbing and got a talented group of 97's to stay within Wayzata. His two best offensive players are a sophomore and freshman. His D core is solid, but not nearly as talented as Edina's...but he has gotten them to play better as a unit all year, moreso than the Hornets. He has gotten them to buy in to playing defensive hockey. Everyone. And he has gotten great goaltending. Just watching him coach a game, it looks like he has a firm grasp on his kids and their system, and he doesn't seem to get panicked. They probably won't win state, but his coaching job with this team, should get him coach of the year in a rebuilding year, when they basically lost all their offense to graduation.

Lechner, lost his best forward and best defenseman (who both still had eligibility) to juniors, but he has never had Hill Murray ranked lower than #3 and they play the best team hockey of any metro teams that I've seen. Pound-for-pound the best coach in the state. The new Ike or Sats.

Happy Sup?

It's still to early to handicap this race...the Coach's Association obviously takes performance in Sections into account (or was there another reason why Sager won couple years back?). If Wayzata wins 6AA, then I can see an argument for O'Leary.

In the same vein, if Eagan makes it to State for the third year in a row (even with a down year for 3AA overall), I'd nominate Mike Taylor. Just about everything you've offered as evidence for O'Leary at Wayzata applies...you want to talk about rebuilding years, and losing nearly your entire offense to graduation? And he's done more than just convince one year class to stick around...he's shut down the exodus to the privates for the last 4 or 5 years running.

It's Taylor's 10th year at Eagan...tenth year for his entire Varsity staff, actually. To look at where the program was when he started, and where it is now...I know it's coach of the "year" not "years" but that's got to count for something.

[almostashappy]

Should'nt it be the coaches who have done the most with less??

My Vote- Chris Lonke, New Prague. Lost top two players to defection and still have them ranked and contending for Missota conf. title. Or does class A not count unless you are a private school or Hermantown!

Always better to do your homework before you start to whine...they give out separate awards to AA and A coaches.

http://www.mnhockeyhub.com/news_article ... r_id=32770

[urban iceman]

Should'nt it be the coaches who have done the most with less??

My Vote- Chris Lonke, New Prague. Lost top two players to defection and still have them ranked and contending for Missota conf. title. Or does class A not count unless you are a private school or Hermantown!

Always better to do your homework before you start to whine...they give out separate awards to AA and A coaches.

http://www.mnhockeyhub.com/news_article ... r_id=32770

I guess that wasn't specified on the topic , Einstein!

[The Huge Hook]

...but Rahn is not a good coach. I'm surprised Good players parents even send their kids there with his reputation...past and present.

Please expand on this.......He seems like a pretty good guy to me and I know him fairly well.

I'm not aware of his "reputation".

[BodyShots]

Lechner, lost his best forward and best defenseman (who both still had eligibility) to juniors, but he has never had Hill Murray ranked lower than #3 and they play the best team hockey of any metro teams that I've seen. Pound-for-pound the best coach in the state. The new Ike or Sats.

Here we go again. The Joe Torre of high school hockey. Real tough to coach a bench/dugout of superstars.

[TheHockeyDJ]

Lechner, lost his best forward and best defenseman (who both still had eligibility) to juniors, but he has never had Hill Murray ranked lower than #3 and they play the best team hockey of any metro teams that I've seen. Pound-for-pound the best coach in the state. The new Ike or Sats.

Here we go again. The Joe Torre of high school hockey. Real tough to coach a bench/dugout of superstars.

Same thing with Rapids.

[whlscout]

Class AA

O'Leary-Wayzata - Best coach out there. He only has 2 players that can put the puck in the net(Freytag-Soph and Zimmer-Freshman), and mediocre defensemen (Except for Stevens-another Soph). He does have a D1 prospect in nets (Dingman) who has stolen a few games for the team.
Rest of the players are just average blue collar players that work hard.

Class A
Owens from SPA is probably the favorite. Could turn them into another
St. Thomas Academy in 2-3 years.

Larson from Breck might have a chance. Total rebuilding year and he
has beaten Duluth East and Moorhead. Also tied Burnsville and lost twice to the best team in the state (STA) by identical 2-1 scores.

[whlscout]

Chorske from Mpls has done a great job and should be a candidate for coach of the year. Dziedec would be lost without him. I know Dziedec is the head coach and I know him personally but IMO he isn't a very good coach. He is more worried about his players trying to take someone's head off versus teaching skills. He just wants his team to play
Mpls Northside tough guy hockey. Also, he was let go from SPA because he was such a poor coach. Again, thank god he has Chorske to run things for him.

[Pioneerprideguy]

I'll throw a vote to Jim McElmury/Steve Romanchuk who Tartan. I believe their team is 14-2 with their only losses to HM & STA. I realize they haven't had the most difficult schedule, but they have handled themselves well this year. For a school known more for basketball than hockey, they have been able to put a good product out year after year and are well respected guys. Gotta give credit as they have been able to keep a guy like Jackson to stay his senior year and not opt to go elsewhere (I guess our offer wasn't quite good enough ).